Adhuri Chitthi ka Intezar

Yeh ek horror story hai jo ek sunsan pahadi gaon ki purani yaadon aur ek kabhi na khatam hone wale intezar ke baare mein hai.

Shimla se lagbhag 40 kilometer door, ghaney cheed (pine) ke jangalton ke beech ek chota sa gaon basa hai—'Shunyakot'. Is gaon ke baare mein mashhoor hai ki yahan suraj dhalne ke baad hawaon ka rukh badal jata hai. Sheher ki bhag-daur se thak kar, Aryan ne wahin ek purana 'British Era' cottage rent par liya tha. Aryan ek writer tha, aur usey apni nayi kitab ke liye sukoon chahiye tha. Par usey kya maloom tha ki sukoon ki talash usey ek aise khauf ke darwaze par khada kar degi, jahan se wapasi ka rasta hi nahi milta.

Cottage ka naam tha ‘The Pines’. Aryan jab pehli baar wahan pahuncha, toh usey woh jagah thodi ajeeb lagi. Deewaron par se papdi utar rahi thi aur purane furniture se ajeeb si sili hui boo (musty smell) aa rahi thi. Par sabse ajeeb thi wahan ki caretaker, ek buddhi aurat jise sab 'Kaki' kehte the. Kaki ki aankhen safed ho chuki thi, par unki nazar hamesha cottage ke us kone wale kamre par rehti thi jo hamesha tala-band rehta tha.

"Beta, raat ko chahe jo ho jaye, us kamre ki taraf mat jhankna," Kaki ne Aryan ko pehle hi din chetavni di thi.

Aryan ne has kar baat taal di. "Kaki, main bhoot-pret mein yakeen nahi rakhta. Mujhe bas likhne ke liye thoda shanti chahiye."

Pehli do raatein bilkul khamosh guzrin. Teesri raat, jab bahar tez barish ho rahi thi aur bijli kadak rahi thi, Aryan apni desk par baitha likh raha tha. Achanak, usey aisa laga jaise koi uske peeche khada hai. Thandi hawa ka ek jhonka uski gardan se takraya. Usne palat kar dekha, par wahan koi nahi tha. Sirf khidki khuli thi aur parde hawa mein lehra rahe the.

Jab woh khidki band karne utha, toh uski nazar farsh par padi ek purani, peeli pad chuki chitthi par gayi. Woh chitthi shayad us band kamre ke darwaze ke neeche se sarak kar bahar aayi thi. Aryan ne utha kar usey padhna shuru kiya.

“Priy, tumne kaha tha tum laut aaoge. Main aaj bhi har roz dakia (postman) ka intezar karti hoon. Tumhari chitthi ka har shabd mere liye saans lene jaisa hai. Par tumhari aakhri chitthi adhuri reh gayi... tum kab aaoge?”

Likhawat bohot purani thi, par syahi (ink) aise lag rahi thi jaise abhi-abhi likhi gayi ho. Aryan ko laga shayad yeh kisi purane kirayedar ki chitthi hogi. Par us raat ke baad, cottage ka mahaul badal gaya.

Raat ke 2 baje Aryan ki neend khuli. Usne suna—'tak... tak... tak...'. Yeh awaz band kamre ke andar se aa rahi thi. Aisa lag raha tha jaise koi typewriter chala raha ho. Aryan dabe paaon us darwaze ke paas gaya. Usne kaan lagaya toh andar se rone ki halki si awaz aayi. Ek ladki ke rone ki awaz.

"Kaun hai andar?" Aryan ne himmat karke pucha.

Awaz ekdum band ho gayi. Sannata itna gehra tha ki Aryan ko apni hi dhadkan sunayi de rahi thi. Phir achanak, darwaze ke neeche se ek aur kagaz bahar aaya.

Aryan ne usey uthaya. Us par sirf ek hi line likhi thi: "Kya tum meri chitthi puri karoge?"

Aryan ka gala sookh gaya. Agli subah, usne Kaki se us kamre ke baare mein pucha. Kaki ki aankhon mein khauf utar aaya. Usne bataya ki 1940 mein yahan ek angrez officer ki beti, Evelyn, rehti thi. Usey ek Hindustani krantikari (revolutionary) se ishq ho gaya tha. Woh officer usey hamesha chitthi likhta tha. Ek din khabar aayi ki woh pakda gaya hai aur usey fansi hone wali hai. Evelyn uski aakhri chitthi ka intezar karti rahi, par woh chitthi kabhi puri nahi ho payi. Evelyn ne isi kamre mein intezar karte-karte dum tod diya.

"Log kehte hain ki woh aaj bhi us adhuri chitthi ke bache hue shabd dhoond rahi hai," Kaki ne kaanpte hue kaha.

Aryan ne socha yeh sab bakwas hai. Par us raat, hadd toh tab ho gayi jab Aryan ne apne bistar ke paas ek saaya dekha. Ek ladki, safed libas mein, jiska chehra balon se dhaka hua tha. Woh Aryan ki desk par baithi kuch likh rahi thi. Aryan ki cheekh nikalte-nikalte reh gayi. Woh hil tak nahi pa raha tha.

Ladki ne dhire se apna sar ghumaya. Uska chehra... uska koi chehra hi nahi tha. Bas ek sapat chamdi (blank skin) thi jahan aankhen aur mooh hona chahiye tha. Usne apna hath badhaya, jisme ek purana feather-pen (kalam) tha. Usne woh kalam Aryan ki taraf badhaya.

Aryan ne ghabra kar bhagne ki koshish ki, par cottage ka darwaza bahar se band tha. Khidkiyan jam gayi thi. Usne dekha ki desk par rakhi chitthi mein apne aap shabd ban rahe the—khoon se.

"Likhon... likho ise... wo lautne wala hai..."

Aryan ko aisa mehsoos hua jaise koi invisible taqat usey desk ki taraf kheench rahi ho. Woh kursi par baith gaya. Uske hath kaap rahe the. Usne kalam pakdi. Uska hath apne aap chalne laga. Woh likhne laga—aisa dard, aisi nafrat aur aisa intezar jo sadiyon purana tha.

Likhate-likhate Aryan ko ehsas hua ki uski apni ungliyon se khoon nikal raha hai. Woh kalam nahi, balki uski rooh nichod rahi thi. Evelyn uske peeche khadi thi, uske thande hath Aryan ke kandhon par the.

Subah jab Kaki cottage pahunchi, toh sab kuch shant tha. Usne dekha ki Aryan apni desk par jhuka hua tha. Uska shareer thanda pad chuka tha. Uske chehre par wahi khauf tha jo marne waqt Evelyn ke chehre par raha hoga.

Desk par ek chitthi padi thi, jo poori ho chuki thi. Par ajeeb baat yeh thi ki chitthi ki likhawat Aryan ki nahi, balki kisi purane zamane ki thi. Aur us chitthi ke aakhir mein likha tha:

"Ab intezar khatam hua. Agla musafir jald aayega."

Kaki ne thandi aah bhari aur kamre ka darwaza bahar se band kar diya. Usne Aryan ka saman ek kone mein rakh diya, jahan pehle se hi kai aur bag aur purani diary-an padi thi. 'The Pines' phir se naye kirayedar ke intezar mein khamosh ho gaya.

Aaj bhi, Shunyakot ke us raste se guzarne wale log kehte hain ki raat ke sannate mein typewriter ki 'tak-tak' aur ek ladki ke hansne ki awaz aati hai. Evelyn ki chitthi shayad puri ho gayi thi, par us chitthi ko khatam karne wala khud ek kahani ban kar reh gaya